Geraint will be responsible for the global exploitation of rights across television and digital media, and consumer products in the Americas and France for Silvergate’s key brands including Peter Rabbit and Octonauts.

Geraint joins Silvergate with a wealth of international experience in television, publishing and consumer products. Immediately prior to joining the company he was EVP, Television and Consumer Products at France Télévisions Distribution and previously SVP, Television Sales at Chorion, with varied roles in publishing and TV distribution earlier in his career.

Mary Durkan, CEO at Silvergate Media says, “Peter Rabbit and Octonauts continue to resonate with audiences worldwide and we are thrilled to take on the responsibility for their continued expansion into new territories. Geraint has a terrific track record in international sales and he will be a great asset to our growing team as we continue to forge relationships in key global markets.”

Co-produced with Penguin UK and Nickelodeon US, the brand new Peter Rabbit series consists of 50 x 11’ and three half-hour specials. The series has launched in the US, UK, France and Australia, with further country launches taking place in 2013 including Germany later in the year. A half-hour Christmas Special, Peter Rabbit’s Christmas Tale, premiered in December 2012 on Nickelodeon in the US, CBeebies and BBC One in the UK and ABC TV in Australia, drawing excellent audience numbers in all three territories.

Based on the richly imaginative books by award-winning design team, Meomi, Octonauts combines elements of classic team action-adventure with dazzling CGI animation to transport preschoolers into a world they can’t ordinarily visit…the ocean. The show arouses the curiosity and feed the imagination of preschoolers, answering questions in a journey of discovery through the world’s oceans.

Silvergate Media holds worldwide licensing and merchandising rights for the Classic Peter Rabbit and holds all worldwide audiovisual, licensing and merchandising rights for the new CGI Peter Rabbit, excluding the Americas and India which are controlled by Nickelodeon USA. Penguin is supporting the animation with a full publishing programme.

Silvergate Media holds all audiovisual and worldwide licensing and merchandising rights to Octonauts.

Source: Silvergate Media

Jennifer Wolfe is Director of News & Content at Animation World Network.